Beauty and the Beast
by Microphone
Summary: The basic plot of 'Beauty and the Beast' but with Harry Potter people! Better than it sounds. Please read 'Chapter One' for full explanation. R & R! Rating is to be safe.
1. Overture

Overture

Well, hello there! You're talking to the one and only drum roll MICROPHONE! Crickets All right, all right. I know I'm just another fool out there with nothing to do so I write Harry Potter stories.

Anyway, here is the gist and nub of what is going on.

I'm starting a new project where I write stories based on musicals using the Harry Potter characters. There should be an 'Overture' before each one, explaining anything confusing, but feel free to review with further questions.

This particular story, Beauty and the Beast, is based off of the musical rather than the movie. There will be times when you'll see lyrics thrown in there. But they'll be in their conversations, instead of chilling there like in a song fic.

Now, this IS a bit A/U. It would take place shortly after the sixth book, but major things may be cut out/added to fit in with the basic plot line, which I have.

ALSO, I apologize for any characters that may stray OOC. I'm doing my best to keep everyone in character.

There will be one OC that I can think of. She's only in the Prologue than she goes away; so don't worry about Mary Sues.

Errr…yeah. I'm sorry for the disorder of this guy.

Here is my GRAND disclaimer. This will cover all of the chapters. I did not create Harry Potter and any other names/characters you may recognize. I'm not making any money or anything like that.

There we go. Oh, yes, a full character list will go up later. I just don't want to spoil any of the surprises.

This story contains BOTH Het and Slash love, so prepare yourself. If this offends you, I apologize.

I think that covers everything. If it doesn't, I'll add it in. Wish me luck!


	2. Prologue

_Prologue_

Once upon a time, in a faraway land,

A young prince lived in a shining castle.

Bill Weasley shivered slightly in the brisk air as he unlocked the front door of Grimmauld Place. His breath came out in a cloud before his mouth. The door swung open to reveal a gorgeous (recently restored) entryway. The Order had done a great job on making the mansion extravagant again. He stepped over the threshold, scowling slightly.

Although he had everything his heart desired,

The prince was spoiled and selfish and unkind.

_He dropped his coat unceremoniously on a small chair. He made a move towards the Billiard room, but stopped halfway there. _

_"Nobody's here, anyway," he muttered. _

_Bill turned around and caught sight of his reflection in a hallway mirror. His once handsome face was deformed and scarred, a token from the werewolf, which had attacked him several months ago. Not even the strongest medicines and magic could repair the damage. Even his mother winced upon catching sight of him, a truth that hurt more than the attack itself._

_He turned and swung his fist into the wall. He was sick of everyone's pity, and horror, and, most of all, himself. _

But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle

And offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.

_Several months later, very near Christmas, Grimmauld Place was alive with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Mrs. Weasley was bent over the stove, putting a pot of tea on the flames. Sirius skipped through the hallways, lighting scented candles, belting out carols and flirting unashamedly with Remus, who would merely blush deeply and return to dusting the mantle. _

_Bill sat in a high-backed chair with a velvet cover. A small lamp burned beside him as he read a large book with an intricate design on its cover. As he slowly turned the cracked and yellow page, a loud ring echoed through the mansion._

_"Doorbell," he called out, too engrossed in his book to get up and greet the stranger himself. _

_ He heard a quiet giggle nearby. He looked up to see his youngest brother, Ron, stretched out on a decorative oriental rug. He snored lightly in his sleep. The giggle had come from Hermione, who was gently tickling him on the nose with a long stemmed flower she had plucked from a nearby vase. Bill's youngest sibling, and only sister, Ginny, sat on the floor as she sipped on her tea. _

_"Anybody going to get it?" he asked loudly enough to be heard throughout the nearest couple of rooms. The only response he got was a light grunt from his dad, who was hunched over a small clock, trying to comprehend its complexities. _

_Bill felt his ever-present frustration bubble up inside of him as his family and friends continued to ignore him. He stood up and walked slowly to the door, trying to regain control of him emotions as he went. _

_The doorbell sounded through the house again. _

_"Coming! I'm coming!" he sighed, cursing the impatience of some people. He reached the heavy mahogany door and swung it open._

_It was then he laid eyes on possibly the most hideous woman he had ever seen. Her scraggly hair hung in uneven chunks in front of her face. Her bony body was hunched over in an unnatural position. Her face and hands were twisted and covered with warts and traces of gangrene. Worst of all, though, was the right side of her face, twisted and scarred. As if she had been attacked by a werewolf. Old emotions of self-loathing overpowered him. Her face almost perfectly mirrored his._

_"Excuse me, sir, but I am ill and the weather is bitter cold. Is there room for one more in this fine, fine house of yours? I haven't any money, but I can give you this,"_

_Her hand reached inside of the folds of her dirty cloak and withdrew a perfect, long-stemmed rose._

Repulsed by her haggard appearance,

The prince sneered at the gift

And turned the old woman away.

Bill stared at the rose for a moment before looking back up at the woman. His lips curled in disdain as he replied,

_"We don't want you here," He turned and began to shut the door behind him._

But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances,

For beauty is found within.

_"Young man, listen here. I'm not pretty and I'm not new. But true beauty is found within. You, of all people, should understand that._

_Bill froze in the doorway and brought a hand slowly to his face._

And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness

Melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress.

_"Leave here," His voice cracked loudly. _

_"Sir…"_

_"LEAVE HERE!" He spun around, prepping himself to slam the door in anger. However, he stopped in mid-action and stared in horror. _

_The woman threw off her cloak. Golden hair spilled out over her shoulders, her skin tightened and cleared, her body straightened. _

_"Oh, my God…"_

The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late,

For she had seen that there was no good in his heart.

_Bill fell to his knees and clasped his hands together in front of him, overwhelmed by her beauty._

_"Please…please, I-I didn't know! Give me another chance! You can have a room, you can stay!"_

_The enchantress folded her arms and watched the pitiful scene before her._

_"What's with this sudden change of heart?" Bill look up at her, aghast._

As punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast

And placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived in it.

_"You've just displayed a disgusting superficial nature. An ill, old woman shows up on the stoop of your mansion and you cannot take her in. Not until she becomes a threat to your own wellbeing, anyway,"_

_"Please, it's not that way at all! I-" _

_But she didn't give him a chance to finish whatever it was he was to say. She lifted her arms up and rose into the air. Her long skirt swirled around her ankles and her eyes began to glow red. _

_Lightening bolts shot out of the sky, striking the mansion. The beautiful building was slowly being transformed into a desolate, brick prison. A thick forest erupted around the perimeter of the lawn and stretched miles in every direction. _

_Suddenly, Bill could hear loud moans and screams from inside of Grimmauld Place itself._

_"What are you doing to them!" he yelled out._

_"You'll see soon enough," She pointed her finger towards him. Pain exploded inside of his body. Every cell was on fire. He screamed in agony. He brought his hands up to cover his face, only to see two, thick, fur-covered paws._

Ashamed by his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom for many years. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return, by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

_Bill walked slowly through the front lawn, guilt welling up inside of him with each step. Afraid to hurt his friends anymore, he closed the iron gate and locked it, to prevent any lost traveler to catch sight of any of them._

As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope.

For who could ever learn to love a beast?

A/N: I know this chapter was written a bit oddly and abruptly, but I hate prologues. I promise the rest will be a lot better. The first couple of chapters are going to be hard to write, because not too much happens, so they might not be…prompt in coming out. Also, I'll try to explain things in the Author's Notes as this story progresses, explaining why nobody is looking for all of this 'missing' people and whatnot. Anyway, please R & R!


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